


In the right hands

by Apollyon (DarklingFyre)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers AU, Character Development, Dark Tony Stark, Dubious Morality, Epilogue, Evil Tony Stark, Flashbacks, How Do I Tag, Identity Reveal, Kidnapping, Merchant of Death Tony Stark, Morality, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Reflecting on Civil War, SHIELD falls, Secret Identity, Team Iron Man, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony wins, accurate math, heroes are in the wrong, icarus themes, multiple people fall off buildings, not team Cap friendly, surprise, the cathartic qualities of villain monologues, tony stark is not publicly iron man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:15:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23206075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarklingFyre/pseuds/Apollyon
Summary: Captain America and the Avengers are in a tight spot after being captured by their worst enemy, but at least they can still rely on Tony Stark, their benefactor and friend, to get them out, right?
Relationships: Loki & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 92
Kudos: 992
Collections: ellie marvel fics - read





	1. Define 'Friends'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick dark!tony one-shot that I wrote while I was supposed to be finishing an essay, because I had a craving for dark!tony fics, so I wrote one. Funny how 2k words are faster to write than 100. anyways, enjoy!

“Steve.”

A hushed voice filtered through the fog of unconsciousness in his head, and he regained awareness of his body lying limp against the cold floor. His head throbbed as he blinked tired eyes open and slowly pushed himself up off the ground. 

“Steve!”

There was that voice again. He shook his head trying to clear away the clouds in his head. They usually didn't linger this long, had he been drugged? He tried to focus his mind on what had happened, only to once again get interrupted by the voice. 

“Steve, look at me.”

He complied, blinking again and looking up for the first time at his surroundings. The room was dark, but he could make out that he was in a small glass room along the wall of a larger semi-circular room.  _ A cell _ . Right. He had been captured

Next to him sat Natasha, pressed up against the glass separating them. She relaxed slightly when he met her eyes. A quick glance around revealed the rest of his team. Clint sat against the wall of his cell on the other side of Nat, and beyond him, Wanda furiously pummeled the glass with her magic to no avail. On his other side lay Bucky, asleep but seemingly alive, thankfully. Beyond Bucky, Sam paced his cell and Lang slept in his. His entire team was captured but, thankfully, were safe. Or as safe as they could be given their situation.

More cells filled the rest of the wall, but they were all empty. Most worryingly, he could see no visible door. Thankfully though, the mind fog seemed to be nearly dissipated and he could think clearly now.

He moved over to where Natasha sat. “What do you know so far?” he whispered.

“Unfortunately not much,” the spy replied, “I woke up first about an hour ago, but I have no idea how long it's been since we were put here. Last I recall we were investigating that old building where someone reported some sort of robot activity. We found an active room but the door closed behind all of us and gas started pouring from the vents.”

“Yea, that's about what I remember too, it's good to confirm though.”

“It does mean that we know who we’re dealing with though. Robots, chemical warfare, automated traps? It's got all his hallmarks.”

“You’re right, it has to be him…”

“Iron Man.”

\---

It was not good news to have Iron Man as their enemy and captor. Apparently, back in 2009, 3 years before Steve woke up, he had introduced himself to the world through his efforts to destabilize Stark Industries through the assassination of several key figures in the company, including the second-in-command Obadiah Stane. Thankfully he had failed to kill Stark himself, but he did not let this deter him and he quickly rose to become one of Earth’s most terrifying villains. 

People originally believed he was working with the Ten Rings, the organization responsible for Stark’s initial capture, but after Gulmira was wiped off the map and with it the branch of the Ten Rings that had held him, it was clear that was not the case.

What followed was a systematic extermination of terrorism and villainy to such a degree as to put all the world’s governments and heroes  _ combined _ to shame. If not for the piles of civilian casualties he left in the wake of his destruction, (not targets, just  _ in the way _ ) he would have been the world’s most effective super _ hero _ . As it was though, the fear of becoming one more example of Iron Man’s collateral damage made people flee at the mere mention of the man in the metal suit. His widespread robbery didn't help his case either.

However, Steve knew he had never actively targeted any heroes before, and few even dared to fight him to begin with. Sure he had exterminated the majority of S.H.I.E.L.D. a couple years prior, but after the extent of HYDRAs infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. had been revealed his actions at least  _ made sense _ . And Steve knew that Iron Man wasn't stupid enough to believe  _ Captain America _ was HYDRA.

No matter the motive, if they were in the custody of Iron Man, they were in trouble.

\---

Eventually, the rest of the team woke up, but despite their best efforts none of them were able to make so much of a scratch on the glass. It appeared that, for now, all they could do was wait, though it was anyone’s guess whether their captor or rescue would arrive first. 

They did not have to wait long. 

Without warning, the lights illuminating the center of the room switched off, and something must have happened to the glass because for all Steve pressed his face against it, he could see nothing beyond a reflection of his own face.

Then lights in the floor clicked back on and Steve found himself staring into the glowing eyes of their captor.

Steve threw himself backward and the metal man laughed his cruel, mechanical, laugh. Steve knew that the man in the suit  _ had _ to be smiling.

Steve stood back up and tried to calm his racing heart as he turned back to the man waiting outside of his cell. He grit his teeth and resolved that even though his shield was who-knows-where, he would not let himself be caught defenseless like that again.

“Good evening Captain,” Iron Man begins, light despite the effects of the modulator he used, “tell me, how are you finding your stay so far?”

True to form, Steve starts on the offensive, “You can't keep us here forever, S.H.I.E.L.D. will find us and the public will uproar.”

Iron Man takes the assertion in stride, probably having expected the Captain’s verbal attack, “Oh dear,” he replies, adopting a nervous stance, though sarcasm drips from every word, “how ever will I deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.? I truly  _ had not _ considered that.”

He pauses, then turns to look at an empty section of the wall. Steve watches in horror as the floors of two previously empty cells rise up to reveal Fury and Hill, both down for the count. 

Iron Man turns back to the Captain, shrugging. “They didn't even fight, trusted me a lot more than I expected them too. Oh, you should have seen them when they realized.”

Steve could tell he was smiling again, and he was confused. Surely the agents would not have trusted Iron Man, he was a villain? Was there something he didn't know yet?

“So you see, Captain,” Iron Man continued, “I have S.H.I.E.L.D., and what can the public do, truly, especially if S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't tell them you’re missing?”

Steve didn't know what to say. Despite his earlier determination, he still felt that the rug had been pulled from beneath his feet, and he was sure his face showed it.

“Do you admit that you have lost?”

Steve swallowed, there was still one more card to play, as much as he was loathe to rely on him. But he had nothing else. “Stark will save us.”

The villain looked as incredulous as a metal mask could. “Stark? Last I heard you two weren't on the best of terms.”

“We had a minor disagreement, nothing more.”

“Not  _ minor _ , from where I stand, but whatever you say, Cap,” He shrugged, “So why, pray tell, do you believe he will save you?”

Steve was feeling more and more unsure as the conversation progressed, but he had nothing else, so he continued. “You don't have Stark in a cage, and even if you did, do you really believe that anyone, even you, can hold him any longer than he wants to be held? He’ll get himself out and then he’ll get us too.”

“You misunderstand me, Captain. I too am certain that Stark  _ could _ save you, but why do you believe he  _ would? _ ”

This was getting into dangerous territory, and Steve paused, summoning all the conviction he could muster. “Well of course he would, we’re his friends.”

That seemed to catch the villain by surprise, and he stood still for a moment before half doubling over in laughter. The sound was loud and echoed discordantly in the otherwise silent room. “I'm sorry,” he laughed, and Steve thought for a moment he could see movement within the impervious shell, “but you think i'm  _ what _ now?”

The suit unlatched, and a man stepped out. 

“Oh Captain,” said Tony Stark, “you are  _ very much mistaken. _ ”

\---

Steve backed up, eyes wide in surprise and fear. Around him, he could hear similar exclamations of shock from his team. It was justified after all. 

Tony Stark was Iron Man. 

Stark had been brought onto the team as a consultant back when Steve first woke up. S.H.I.E.L.D. had figured that his weapons and tech expertise would be beneficial and that he could help Banner track the Tesseract. They were right. Stark’s work with the Tesseract and later hacking the inbound missile had won them the war, and he continued to prove invaluable afterward. His funding, weapons, and strategies had significantly benefited S.H.I.E.L.D., and Steve’s only complaint would have been the mans sometimes aggravating personality. 

Then had come the Accords, and Zemo, and what had started as simple friction between the two had evolved into a full-fledged rivalry. Iron Man, no -  _ Stark _ , was right; what they had was no ‘minor disagreement.’

Everything clicked into place.  _ No wonder _ the Ten Rings no longer existed.  _ No wonder _ Stark was never targeted.  _ No wonder _ Stark was so secretive about his tech.  _ No wonder _ Fury and Hill had been caught, they had  _ trusted _ him. Now that Steve knew the truth, he realized they were stupid for never catching on. Nothing else made sense. Why hadn’t they  _ realized? _

And here he was now. The smartest man on the planet revealing himself as the world’s most feared villain. 

Who he had pissed off.

They were  _ fucked. _

“No… Tony, why?”

Stark’s voice was harsh and bitter, “Captain, you of all people should know  _ why _ , and I'm not going to dignify you with a stereotypical villain monologue, I’m busy.” He grinned, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. “I guess if you’re still confused,  _ Romanova _ probably knows the rest, try asking her.” He stepped back into his suit as it closed over him, “Anyways, enjoy captivity, Toodles!”

And he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a couple more ideas for potentially a second chapter, exploring more background as to what caused this situation in the first place, and idk, if i get inspired i might write more? lmk what you think.


	2. Red Herrings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iron Man, sorry, Tony Stark, has successfully captured the Avengers. While they deal with the revelation forced upon them, what does he do. I mean, he's won, right?  
> Unfortunately, nothing is ever quite that simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um, yeah. By popular request, I have extended this story. Honestly, thank you all for your incredible support. I literally could not have done this without the dopamine rush your comments kudos and views gave me.  
> Anyways, enjoy! :)

Near the top of Stark Tower, above the penthouse, was a semicircular floor of theoretically unused space. There were no windows looking in, and even Stark's private elevator had no buttons leading to it, but it was there on the publicly available floor plans. An inaccessible unused floor that was, for all intents and purposes, empty.

It frustrated the hell out of the builders, and they muttered amongst themselves about ‘eccentric billionaires and their need for secret rooms, don't they know we could fit so much ventilation equipment in there?’

They completely missed the other couple dozen hidden rooms and pathways that were snuck into the plans.

It was from this floor that Tony Stark descended now, clad in his armor and positively  _ giddy _ . He flipped the rug back over the telescoping platform and sent his armor off to hide before making his way down to his bar and the drink that was waiting for him. Hey, he had damn well  _ earned  _ it.

But he had barely finished pouring himself a generous helping of scotch before Jarvis interrupted.

“I'm sorry Sir, I know you are celebrating, but you have a call incoming.”

“Well then hang up, Jarv, I’m busy.”

“I would, Sir, but it's Agent Coulson and I'm afraid he's being rather insistent.”

“Agent Coul…  _ Phil? _ So he’s finally decided to come out of the woodwork huh.” He chuckled and sipped at his drink. “Jay I don't suppose he’d fall for the ‘live action decoy’ trick again would he?”

“Considering he never did in the first place, I doubt he would, Sir. Additionally, judging by the jet two miles out, I don't believe he would be willing to take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Tony groaned, “Damn S.H.I.E.L.D. and their timing, put him through Jay.”

There was a click, and Coulson's voice flooded the room, “Stark, we have a quinjet en route to pick you up in under a minute, be ready, there's been an emergency and we need all hands on deck.”

He threw back the rest of his drink and grabbed his jacket, “Agent,  _ such _ a pleasure to hear you've returned from the dead, though it does beg the question, what is  _ so important _ that they pull  _ you _ out of rehab?”

There was no reply.

“Sir, I do believe he has disconnected.”

Tony scowled as he walked out to the waiting quinjet. “Bastard.”

\---

It only took a couple of minutes before the helicarrier shimmered into view before them and Tony could see Coulson waiting for him on the runway.

“You hung up on me,” he greeted, as soon as he had stepped from the plane, “that was rude.”

“I’d apologize, but we’re in a rush,” Coulson smiled, “It's good to see you too Stark.”

Tony nodded, “So what's the sitch?” he asked as they walked indoors, “and where's patches?”

“That's part of the problem, Fury’s been captured, along with eight others.”

He whistled, “Someone got  _ nine _ of you guys? That's rather impressive I must admit, so how's the rescue?”

“That's what we brought you in to help with, go ahead, everyone else is already here.”

Tony stepped into the conference room and looked around at the assembled group of familiar faces. Ignoring the few standard S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, he waved at Rhodey and Banner, glad to see he was back in the country, nodded at Strange, and then was promptly tackled by a blur of red and blue. He felt the air leave his lungs as he fell to the ground. “Heya kid,” he groaned.

“Ahh, Mr. Stark! I’m sorry, are you alright? I'm just excited to see you again!” Came rushing out in a flurry of words.

“Hey, kid, breathe, I'm good, no worries,” He smiled, pushing himself to his feet, “It's good to see you too.”

Coulson moved to the front of the room as everyone settled back in their seats, and pointed at a powerpoint. Fantastic, Tony thought,  _ soooo _ excited.

“At 8:32 this morning,” Coulson began, “The Avengers were called out to deal with a reported robotic disturbance. Due to the historical severity of robot related incidents, as well as the Captain's insistence, we felt it was warranted to send a larger team than normal. This includes everyone you do not see at the table - Rogers, Romanoff, Barton, Barnes, Maximoff, Lang, and Wilson. They all entered the abandoned warehouse seen here, at which point their communications were cut off. After 15 minutes with no communication, we sent in our emergency forces. They found no sign of the Avengers in the entire building, but they did find signs of their presence, as well as a room with traces of a sedative gas. A little under an hour later, the alarm in Director Fury’s office was triggered, and it was discovered that both he and Agent Hill had been kidnapped. As of now, we have no idea who is responsible for these incidents, or if they are even related, though we presume that we should be looking for two parties either way. Finding the Director and the agents has become our top priority, and I need your full support on this. Any questions before we go over the current plan?”

Peter tentatively stuck his hand in the air.

“There's no need to raise your hand, Spiderman,” Coulson sighed.

“Oh, uh, sorry, sir, just, uh, what makes you think that there were two parties involved? Instead of just one?”

“I've found in my experience that it is very difficult to transport seven people, even unconscious, to a secure location in under half an hour, presuming half an hour minimum to break into and out of S.H.I.E.L.D. with a further two unconscious people. It simply cannot be done by one person alone. Any other questions?”

Tony smiled to himself, transporting that many people certainly had been difficult, and it had been a busy morning, but the whole situation had been made considerably easier with the assistance of several suits and a snarky AI to control them. Being able to walk straight into Fury’s office hadn't hurt either. I  _ guess _ he could count Jarvis as a second party, but  _ really… _ Nonetheless, It had totally been worth the effort to get up that early for the success of this red herring.

“Do you have any idea who it might be yet?” Rhodey interjected.

“We suspect that a magic user or two may be involved, or a whole new threat altogether. But if you're asking about existing villains, we suspect that Iron Man may be the most capable of pulling this off.”  
_Fuck. Uhh, divert divert, quick think…_ “Are you sure about that Agent?” Tony rambled, “Iron Man’s never been known to directly attack Heroes, more perferring to go after terrorists and other villains. True he did go after S.H.I.E.L.D. that one time, but we all know what his _real_ target during that was… I'm just saying this doesn't fit what we know of his M.O.”

“Stark brings up a fair point, but that doesn't…”

“And one more thing,” Tony cuts in, “Hope I don't jinx it, but do any of us really want to fight Iron Man? Or get on his bad side?”

Mutters and shaking heads sound throughout the room, and he smirks to himself. The rest of the meeting may be a bust but at least they’ll think twice before going after him.

\---

There is silence in the room, everyone too busy processing the sudden revelation.

_ Tony Stark was Iron Man. _

Steve still couldn't quite believe it. Sure, they argued on occasion, but they were  _ friends _ . Despite what Stark had said, he didn't actually know ‘why’ Tony would do this. But, he thought back, perhaps Natasha might.

“Nat?” He whispered, almost afraid to break the quiet of the room, “He said you probably knew the rest, care to tell us?”

She is perfectly still when he looks at her, not even a movement disturbing her perfect mask.  _ Like porcelain _ , he thinks,  _ a porcelain doll. _

It was a remarkably apt comparison, if he did say so himself. Those things were scary.

He is about to ask again when she speaks. 

“I knew.” She says, and the entire room leans in. "I figured it out years ago, back when I worked for him. Never got any concrete evidence of course, but…” She trails off, thinking. “Coulson knew too, he was there when it ‘happened’ I guess, and he probably told Fury,” She nodded over to where he was still asleep, slumped in his cell. “But that's it. We jokingly confronted him about it once, Coulson and I, but he threatened us with the mother of all defamation lawsuits if we leaked so much as a rumor. We didn't bring it up again, everyone knows not to sue Tony Stark, he could have ended S.H.I.E.L.D. if we had even tried, to say nothing of the threats he  _ didn't _ say.” She sighed, “It was actually beneficial at times. Everyone knows how Iron Man feels about terrorism, so there were a couple times that I knew of where we brought Stark in as a consultant on a terrorism case - something where they were using human shields or were in a dense area - that S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't cleared to act on. But Iron Man has no qualms about collateral damage, and within the week he would always show up and deal with it. Nothing was ever said, of course, but Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. had a pretty functional alliance. Until he burnt Hydra down and us with them.”

Natasha finishes her story and silence settles over the room once again. 

“I still don't understand though,” Steve murmurs, “why us?”

\---

The agonizingly tedious meeting was over, and Tony had been returned to his tower, where he was once again nursing a scotch and taking his first proper break of the day. God, he deserved this.

Unfortunately, the quiet calm of slight inebriation could never last, and this particular instance was broken by Pepper, who walked into the lounge looking quite amused. 

“Coulson called,” She announces, “I'm glad to hear he’s alive, you could have warned me though, it was quite the shock.”

“Sorry Pep, if it makes you feel better, he, heh, kidnapped me earlier.”

“He mentioned. Something about a bunch of their agents getting captured?”

“Fury, Hill, and the Captain's merry band. Nine all told.”

“Really?” She raised her eyebrow, “They’re getting sloppy then. Coulson actually called to tell me to keep an eye on you, as if I don't already.”

“Oh really?” He looks up, “What’d he say? Worried I'm the next target perhaps?”

“Nothing like that, he just told me to keep an eye out for ‘weird behavior’? I must admit he's worried me a bit, please don't tell me the reactor is poisoning you again.”

“Nah” He grins, and gets up, “You'll like it, actually, come with me.”

Pepper's face remains pensive as she follows him up to the top of the penthouse and watches as he kicks back the rug.

“Hop on, Pep,” Tony gestures to the metal disk in the floor, “It's a bit of a squeeze,” He warns, as the platform rises, “So keep your arms in.”

\---

Steve’s on high alert as soon as the lights change, and the rest of the team is the same. He’s glad Fury and Hill are awake now though, if only for more moral support.

The panel in the floor in front of them spins and retracts, and two heads appear from the floor. Wait,  _ two? _

Tony Stark is wearing an expression of glee as he rises into the room, looking up at the woman standing next to him. 

Pepper Potts. Who is looking around the room and the people within it with an unreadable expression.

Good, morally sound, Pepper Potts. 

_ Pepper! Help! Save us! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for reading, and as always, I love to hear your thoughts and predictions, so please comment.   
> Additionally, I'm still not 100% sure where I'm taking this, I spent several hours last night banging my head against the wall to come up with some semblance of a plot. your support gave me the motivation to finish this chapter. so thanks.


	3. (Flash)Back in Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What creates a villain? In Tony's case, all it took was a nudge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: This work takes place in an AU. the tiny initial differences are explained in this chapter, and I'm using the butterfly effect to explain away everything else. Case in point - Coulson is not dead because he only got killed like 90% instead of 100%, also, because I wanted to use him as a character without any unfortunate mind wipe scenarios.
> 
> Second note, this chapter takes place during Iron Man 1, its a flashback. (duh)
> 
> Also, thank you guys for your continued awesome support, its really motivated me to keep writing, even when chapters take Hours. like this one. this one took so long.

_**2008:** _

“Please, no gang signs,” Stark says, frowning in mock disapproval.

The soldier frowns, lowering his hand.

“No throw it up, I'm kidding.” He quickly amends, grinning as the soldier - little more than a boy really - smiles brightly and raises his two fingers again. “Yeah peace, I love peace, I’d be out of a job with peace.”

And then the first bomb fell.

A high ringing whine filled his ears and his face clogged with smoke and dust. He could taste the smoky ash of explosions on the air - familiar from testing his own weapons - undercut with an unusual coppery tang that made his stomach turn and his heart race.

Bodies slumped twisted and bleeding on the ground around him as he pushed and fell out of the now empty humvee. A familiar face - Jimmy - caught his attention. In under a minute, a boy lauding peace had become just one more casualty of war. 

He runs.

He is in the middle of sending an SOS when something black and shiny and with a familiar logo drops down next to him.

Despite his last name adorning each of his bombs, it had never been intended as a ‘return to sender.’

No part of this had played out as intended, really.

_How ironic_ , he thinks, as his blood soaks through his bulletproof vest, _that in the wrong hands, his creations of protection would instead spell his destruction._

\---

A crowd of bodies flows past them, carrying tools and supplies for Tony’s ‘workshop’ (to be generous with the term). He wishes absently that he could just slip into the stream and be swept away, but he is not so stupid to believe he has ever been innocuous in a crowd, and he is not too blind as to miss the guns trained on him from every corner. 

Besides, he knows the punishment for noncompliance. _How could he ever forget?_ Though, honestly, the less said about that the better, as far as he’s concerned. His main priority is getting out.

However, while escape may be off the table as of now, the noise makes eavesdropping impossible. He turns to Yinsen, standing at his side.

Yinsen, the one beacon of good amongst all this darkness.

“Tell me more about the ten rings,” he asks quietly, gesturing to the mass around them, “I didn't think it was this big.”

“These are not all of the ten rings,” Yinsen replies, “no, these are merely the unfortunate locals. These ones, I believe, are from Gulmira.”

“Locals? Why would locals be helping terrorists?”  
“No one can be innocent in war, Mr. Stark, even if they are only trying to stay alive, everyone must pick a side.” 

\---

“Today, whoever holds the latest Stark weapons, rules these lands. And soon, it will be my turn.”

Tony hates the smug satisfaction on the terrorist's face. ‘This bastard has picked his side,’ he thinks, ‘too bad for him it's the wrong one.’

He stills his hand though, and his tongue. He knows the dangers as much as he wants to _destroy_ the man standing far too close to him for comfort.

Pepper would be proud of him, for his self-control.

\---

He finds Yinsen - dead.

Dead because he was more brave and good than any other man involved in war that he had ever known.

Dead at the hands of guns and bombs and bullets _he_ designed.

Dead in the service of buying _him_ more time.

Dead because of _him_.

_It's all my fault It's all my fault It's all my fault It's all my fault It's all my…_

No. 

_No._

He can't spiral, not now. He cannot let Yinsen’s death be in vain. He has to get out.

It's not my fault.

_It's theirs._

_It's the terrorist’s fault. They are to blame. They are not innocent. They chose the_ wrong _side._

_How dare they turn my weapons against me._

They will burn for this. He will make sure of it.

His armor - his _weapons_ \- feel comfortable around him as he escapes; fire and mayhem trailing in his wake. His weapons can do so much _more_ in his hands, he realizes.

In the _right hands_.

\---

_Alright Tony, time to ramp up the theatrics._

“I never got to say goodbye to Dad,” he begins, turning to Obie.

_Great, fantastic start, where_ is _my brain today._

_Whatever, let's roll with it._

“I never got to say goodbye to my father,” he pauses, “There's questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels.”

_Time to get to the point._

“I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability.”

He wavers, trailing off, and the reporters leap at the momentary pause. “Mr. Stark!”

“Hey, Ben.” 

“What happened over there?” Asks the lucky reporter.

Tony stands up, taking charge of the room. “I had my eyes opened. I saw the horrors of war, terrorism, and injustice firsthand. I came to realize that my weapons do nothing but harm in the wrong hands. And I also learned just how few ‘right hands’ there truly are. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down” he raises his voice as the crowd explodes into questioning, “the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International until such a time as I can determine that the people of this world” Obie is hustling him off stage now, “can be responsible with the means to destroy it.”

\---

The betrayal catches him completely by surprise. 

Obidiah had meant so much to Tony - he had been a friend, a mentor, a business partner. Obie had been someone Tony could always trust. Well, at least he thought he could.

Once again, it begins with a whine, as, for the second time in three months, he is rendered powerless by the misuse of his own technology.

It takes a God to kill a God, after all.

“Breathe.” Obie whispers, “Easy, easy.”

Tony can't move. Trapped within his own body. Powerless. Staring at the small device in Obidiah’s hand that is responsible.

He is caught looking, even though it's not like he can look anywhere else at the moment. “You remember this one, right?” _Of course he remembers, he designed it._

Obie- _Obidiah_ continues, (nicknames and familiarity aren't for traitors) “It's a shame the government didn't approve it. There's so many applications for causing short-term paralysis.” _Yeah, like betraying people, evidently._

Stane continues, wrenching Tony’s immobile head to face him, either unaware or uncaring of his internal strife. “Tony.”

And here it comes, Tony knows. The admittance, of what he's done or planning to do. What actions warrant _this_ . After all, no sane person incapacitates their mentee and begins a stereotypical villain monologue without _reason_.

Yet he’s still caught by surprise.

“When I uh, ordered the hit on you,”

Fear - or panic, shock, betrayal, or whatever else you want to call it - in this moment, it feels like falling. Falling into water. The sound and sight seem to recede from him, and he feels his heart take an awful lurch behind the reactor casing. Struggling for space in his newly diminished chest cavity. Then he hits the water, and it's like drowning, and the torture, and Afghanistan all over again. A sensation of _rushing_ down his arms and legs where it gathers and tingles like an electric shock. If he could still control his lungs, he would be hyperventilating.

Tony is vaguely aware that Stane is still talking, but it is a tapping against the reactor that drags him back into his body and back into the present.

“You had one last golden egg to give.” Stane says triumphantly, holding the arc reactor that he has pulled from Tony’s chest. That's his heart on a platter, there.

“Do you really think that just because you have an idea, it belongs to you?” Stane asks, and all Tony can do is force as much rage as he can muster into his frozen face, “Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb. Now, what kind of world would it be today if he was as selfish as you?”

And he yanks it out. Hat trick of betrayal completed as Tony gasps, because, really, how else are you supposed to react to the sudden motion of shards of iron in your heart and the knowledge of your imminent death?

“Oh, it's beautiful. Tony, this is your Ninth Symphony. ( _Absolutely ridiculous, I don't compose)_ What a masterpiece. Look at that.” He sits down, just like they used to when Tony was younger, it's almost comforting. “This is your legacy. A new generation of weapons with this at its heart.”

And he can see it. Obidiah’s vision. 

“Weapons that will help steer the world back on course,”

It looks like a bloody battlefield. Burnt bodies and warped armor dotting a scarred wasteland.

“put the balance of power in our hands.”

It looks like hell, and Stane sits on its throne.

“The right hands.”

But in the distance Tony can see something else. It's _his_ vision. And oh is it _glorious._

He sees a world revolutionized. A world organized. A world free of the violence and horrors of war. A world made _safe._

And he wants it, _so bad._

Stane keeps talking; he apparently made a suit of his own, and he is now threatening Pepper (good luck with that). But all Tony can think of is his glorious dream, and what his technology could do in the right hands. _His hands._

He's seen enough of the horrors it's capable of in the wrong ones.

The dismal failure that is Obidiah’s suit does nothing but cement this fact in his mind. The only one responsible and capable enough of using his weapons, is him.

_And woe upon those who would seek more power than they can wield._

\---

Tony laughs when he reads the headlines

**_Armored Assassin Targets Stark International: Stane Killed, Stark Wounded_ **

**_Who Is The New Mechanical Menace?_ **

**_Is ‘Iron Man’ A Terrorist Threat? Sources Suggest A Possible Affiliation With Known Terror Group ‘Ten Rings’._ **

He likes the names, and he is particularly fond of ‘Iron Man’, even if the suit is a Gold-Titanium Alloy. Stark men are made of Iron, after all.

He's less psyched about the implication that he could be associated with the ten rings, even if it makes sense. And it's not the best start to a secret identity to have it already branded as a villain in the public eye.

Either way, it means a press conference.

In Stane’s absence, Rhodey kicks it off. He covers the basics. Yes, Obidiah Stane is dead. No, Tony Stark is not. We speculate this was an attempt to destabilize Stark Industries, though we have yet to determine the reason. No, we have no leads on ‘Iron Man’s’ identity. No, no more information is known about the situation. 

Then it's Tony’s turn. He gets the distinct pleasure of essentially rereading Rhodey's notes, just in a less organized manner, as all the reporters want the information from his mouth. Whatever. Yes, Obidiah Stane is dead. No, I am not, _evidently_. We speculate this was an attempt to destabilize Stark Industries, though we have yet to determine the reason. No, we have no leads on ‘Iron Man’s’ identity. No, no more information is known about the situation. No, I will not be taking further questions at this time. I'm injured and I don't want to, that's why.

But one slips past anyways. Christine… something, he knows. Vanity Fair. He’s pretty sure he’s slept with her. Anyways. 

“Mr. Stark, do you have any word on the status of the weapons division of Stark Industries?”

And that gets his attention, because it's important, and because he gets to tell the truth. 

“Last time I was up here I started with my father. I wondered if he ever had doubts about the weapons he designed and made. Now recently, someone told me, ‘Your dad helped give us the atomic bomb. What kind of world would it be today if he was as selfish as you?’ And I think, honestly? It would probably be a better one.” He paused. “I have seen firsthand the horrors of war, and I'm _done_ with it. I'm done with my name, and America's name being dragged through the mud because the people of this world can not be responsible with weapons capable of destroying it. And if the events of last night are any indication, this world already has enough high powered weapons it can't control, without throwing more of mine into the mix. So no. As the CEO _and_ Owner of Stark Industries, as well as the guy whose _name_ is on the side of the building and of the bombs, I will _not_ be restarting the weapons division of Stark Industries, and I _will_ be instating a global recall of _all_ Stark weaponry, having personally deemed not even the ‘good guys’ fit to use it.” He held up a hand to quell murmurations in the room. “There are better things this company can do than just destroy.”

\---

He flies high and fast over the Afgan desert, dangerous payload balanced on his back.

He could live with Iron Man as a villain, it might even make his job easier, but there was one rumored association he could not stand for. Everyone picked a side in war, and he was damn sure _they_ were not on his. 

Soon enough the clustered buildings of Gulmira, and the familiar cave, begin appearing on the horizon. He feels no remorse when he activates the missile and sends it soaring towards the city.

They had always wanted a Jerico, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over halfway done! hopefully...  
> I hope you all like this chapter, as it was so draining to write, even though it takes place in my favorite MCU movie during some of my favorite scenes. However, I did not realize that the title of this work was said by Obie until I wrote this chapter, neat!
> 
> As always, comments are very much appreciated, they motivate me to write and they help me to flesh out details of future chapters. there is literally no downside. So please, lmk your theories or ideas, I'd love to hear them!
> 
> Toodles! (for now)


	4. Hell Hath No Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.  
> Or,  
> Tony realizes how cathartic villain monologues can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo new chapter!  
> This one was a lot easier to write, even if its the longest of all of them so far. I'm still not entirely confident on either Pepper or Steves characterization, but this included a lot of details that I had been planning for a while.  
> Anyways, enjoy!

“Tony.”

“Yea Pep?”

“What is this?”

He at least has the good grace to look sheepish, though Pepper's expression remains flat, as if completely oblivious of the many human captives surrounding her.

She turns back to look at Tony, and Steve feels a swell of anticipation,  _ this is it, we’re going to be saved. _

“Tony, I thought we agreed to remain non-confrontational with the Avengers for now, this,” She gestures around her, and Steve feels a sinking in his chest - Pepper had  _ known _ , “does not look  _ non-confrontational _ .”

“Look Pep, I know, but with the Accords issues going around…” He gestures to Steve, “He just really pissed me off, OK? And…”

“Tony you can't even take care of a plant! How are you going to keep all of them alive?”

“Not true. There's that thing on the bar that's been there for a couple of months and it hasn't died yet.”

“It's an Amaryllis, and the only reason it's not dead yet is because  _ I’ve  _ been watering it.”

“Well OK look it's good I told you then, right? You can make sure I don't accidentally starve them to death.”

“Honestly Tony, you wouldn't last a week without me,” She pinches the bridge of her nose, “Well I'm sure it won't be a problem for long, S.H.I.E.L.D. is probably still suspicious, despite our efforts to throw them off the trail. Not to say I advocate for this, but unless you’re prepared to move into the Endgame now, our best bet is likely to kill them and dump the bodies and the blame elsewhere.”

Steve can hardly believe it. Even if Pepper had  _ known _ about Tony’s secret identity he had been sure that she would have at least found issue with his capture of the Avengers, but to hear her so callously remarking on the potential necessity of their  _ deaths? _ Now with Pepper revealed as firmly on Stark's side, S.H.I.E.L.D. severely limited, and his team indisposed, what were they to do? And what was their so-called  _ Endgame? _

“Sir? Ms. Potts?” Jarvis interrupted, “Apologies, but Director Fury seems rather insistent on talking to you, he has been shouting for several minutes, despite the muted cells.”

Both Tony and Pepper swing around to face Fury’s cell, where he is standing, arms crossed, in his typical - rather furious - pose. As if he still has power or authority. Tony quirks an eyebrow at the sight, but Pepper’s face, to Steve's surprise, immediately grows dark and contemptuous.

“Let him talk, Jarvis,” she growls, striding over to him.

“Release us now, Stark.” He orders as soon as Jarvis gives the affirmative.

Tony barks a laugh from where he remains in the center of the room, “Or what, Fury? You have no power here and you know it.”

“My office has the best security in S.H.I.E.L.D., those videos  _ will _ make it to the public I guarantee you. Let us out before it has to come to that.”

“Tony, you kidnapped him from his office?” Pepper asks, “Did you have  _ any  _ self-control today?”

“Not really, no, I used that little sonic paralyzer that dear old Obidiah favored to nab ‘em though, and,” he looks back at Fury, “you  _ really _ think I couldn't get past your security system? Jarvis?”

“Indeed Sir,” Jarvis replies, “while I was, unfortunately, unable to loop the footage ahead of time as you did not warn me of your hastily made plan, I did wipe the original footage, as well as the backup, and the backup of the backup.” Fury looked smug, but Jarvis continued, “I also destroyed Dr. Strange’s magical recording device, and the rather outdated film camera and cassette recorder both experienced rather unfortunate power surges which fried their recordings of the last day. And finally, Director, I know from S.H.I.E.L.D.s files the only other recording system in your room is your logbook, which I observed nothing written in since before Sir entered your room.”

“Thank you for covering up Tony’s messes, Jarvis, very thorough.”

“Always, Ms. Potts.”

She turns back to Fury, who at this point is looking considerably less smug, though is still doing an admirable job at faking stoic confidence, though Steve thinks that may just be his normal face. 

“Now,  _ Director _ ,” she begins, “if you’re all done with your attempts to threaten  _ us _ , I do believe it's  _ my _ turn to threaten  _ you _ .”

Pepper burns with cold rage, and Fury nearly takes a step back at her tone. Steve notices Tony lean against a wall a ways back, seemingly content to watch the carnage from afar.

“I don't necessarily agree with 100% of what Tony does. Ideally, I'd like fewer civilian casualties and less reckless behavior from him, but I can excuse his detriments in the face of all the  _ good _ he does. I don't think you realize  _ just how much _ he’s brought down the global terror threat since he’s been active, and  _ how much safer _ the world is because of it. But you know what I  _ cannot _ excuse?” Her glare is set and sharp as she glares up at him, “I don't like it when  _ S.H.I.E.L.D.  _ tries to  _ steal _ from  _ my company _ .”

A subtle raise of Fury’s eyebrows indicates his surprise, and despite his efforts to regain a placid face, the shift was caught by nearly everyone in the room. Pepper plows on. “We’ve known about it since it started. Ever since Stark Industries’ change of direction back in 2008, S.H.I.E.L.D. has maintained the largest cache of our weapons, defying our mandatory recall. And you know what? I could live with that! I get that our weapons give S.H.I.E.L.D. that necessary edge in combat and I know that what you do is important enough to warrant that. That's why you have remained unbothered by Iron Man's efforts to destroy every other Stark Industries’ weapon cache out there - something we are nearly finished with. And you know? Our unofficial alliance worked! But then,” she steps forward, “what you had wasn't enough. You tried to copy them yourself, and, when that didn't work, you tried to steal our digital records and our actual stockpiles! And that,” She takes another step forward, nearly pressed against the glass, “I  _ will not stand for. _ Understand? Now let me make this very clear for you, since evidently our last implied threat did not work; If you, or anyone affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. attempts to distribute information or rumors regarding Iron Man, or stands against us in  _ any _ manner, we will  _ obliterate _ you, both legally and physically.  _ Do I make myself clear. _ ”

And Fury  _ takes a step back. _

He gives a slight nod and Pepper turns and walks away from him, “mute him please, Jarvis.”

She pauses though, for a moment, “And you know the funny part? You might be dead in a week anyways.”

Steve has never been more terrified of Pepper.

\---

Tony smiles as Pepper walks back over to stand next to him, it's moments like this where he is  _ really _ glad she’s on his side - seeing Fury  _ scared? _ He will treasure that memory and that footage for  _ years _ .

“Sir? It appears you have another request for communication, from Captain Rogers.”

“What do you think Pep, evil villain speech. Cathartic?”

“Oh very cathartic definitely,” she smiles, “I never get to talk like that in meetings.”

He nods, “Alrighty, Jay, put ‘em through. What's your question comment or concern Cap?”

“Ok, I can understand a little why you might get upset at S.H.I.E.L.D. using your tech, but can’t you understand that it's necessary for the greater good? And that certainly does not explain why you are mad at us.”

Tony frowns, tapping his chin, “Well first off, I don't like it when people touch my stuff. But I guess the rest of it would have been one of the things you missed out on, doing time as a Capsicle. So, I guess, to basically catch you up to speed; back in 2008 I was kidnapped by some terrorists using my weapons, and then they tortured me until I agreed to build more weapons for them. Instead I built my first suit, killed a bunch of them, and ditched. Since then, I've had both crippling nightmares and a fear of anyone holding more power than they can wield. Now, let's do a recap on a couple key moments with you and the people in this room that may have, say,  _ exacerbated _ those issues. Cap, I'm sure you remember ‘Phase 2’ and the wonderful patch job the helicarrier now sports because that weapon exploded when Agent tried to use it? He’s fine now, by the way, his death was a lie fabricated by the Director over there, he was simply in recovery for the past few years - which is what happens when the front half of your body is  _ blown off.  _ All things considered, that was a fairly minor example of S.H.I.E.L.D. trying to bite off more than it can chew. Let's continue, shall we? Let's recap the moment that the WSC decides it's a good idea to send a  _ nuke _ into one of the biggest cities in the country!  _ And,  _ not just any nuke, one of  _ mine _ .  _ That they shouldn't even have for reasons discussed earlier. _ You better thank your lucky spangles that I was on-site to properly handle my weapon. And the invasion troubles didn't end there, evidently  _ somebody _ ,” he gestures towards Fury, “Did not learn his lesson from the Phase 2 mishap, and decided to make  _ Chitauri based tech _ . Fantastic idea guys, though to be fair, more than just S.H.I.E.L.D. was at fault with that. Anyways, then there was the whole Hydra-infested Project Insight nightmare, which I'm sure I don't need to explain to you. And then S.H.I.E.L.D.s attempt to steal from me, which Pepper covered.” He takes a deep breath. “But you know the worst one? The one that made me do … this?”

“I don't know, Tony, what?” Steve tiredly asks, when he senses that Stark is waiting for an answer.

Stark grins, but it once again does not reach his eyes.

“Jarvis play the ‘right hands’ sound clips, Stane’s first.”

A slightly fuzzy clip plays from overhead, “This is your legacy. A new generation of weapons with this at its heart. Weapons that will help steer the world back on course, put the balance of power in our hands. The right hands.”

“That,” Tony announces to the crowd when the clip finishes, “was my erstwhile mentor and business partner Obidiah Stane, shortly after he betrayed me and attempted to murder me,  _ for the third time _ . He’s the one that had my own weapons used against me and convinced me that the only one responsible enough to use them was  _ me. _ ” He pauses, “This next one might be a bit more familiar, Jarvis?”

Steve Rogers’ voice sounds over the speakers, “No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change.”

“That's good. That's why I'm here.” Tony Stark says on the recording, “When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing.”

“Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own.”

The overhead sound cuts off and Tony and Steve are left staring at each other.

Steve breaks it first. “Tony…” he begins pleadingly.

“No,” Tony interjects, “This is my show,” He steps closer. “The last person who was convinced they  _ deserved _ power betrayed me. Can you imagine my  _ surprise _ when the next person to do so  _ repeated the pattern.  _ Rogers, you and your team are always  _ so convinced _ of your moral high ground. Those rock-solid ideals you keep until they become inconvenient. You've chosen the wrong side Rogers; You may think you’re a hero, but all I see is  _ a threat _ .”

“I knew you only fight for yourself Stark, and you may think yourself all high and noble but at least I don't target civilians.”

“I don't, actually, I just do what needs to be done. Ends justify the means, as Fury might reluctantly agree. You’d say you do the same but _I'm_ _better_ at it. _Iron Man_ has single-handedly eliminated global terrorism, _Captain America_ has made some _damn fine_ kiddy PJ’s.” He steps back to join Pepper on the platform. “History is written by the victors, Rogers, and _I’m_ on the winning side. The _right_ side.”

Steve scowls, and opens his mouth to speak.

“Mute ‘em all, Jay.” Tony interjects as the platform begins lowering. “Now, I'd say I'll miss you, but then I'd be lying.” He grins broadly, “And we can't have that,  _ can we? _ ”

And Steve’s glare as he vanishes from sight is just the  _ loveliest thing. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left!  
> Did you know that the Amaryllis represents pride? I didn't. God, I love Wikipedia.  
> Also, thank you all for your unbelievable support on this fic so far. The stats we're at as of me posting this are like 10 times greater than anything I had anticipated achieving, especially on my first posted fic. So thanks, really.  
> As always, I love hearing your 'comments concerns and questions', as the feedback I've received so far has really helped me to flesh out the story and remember details about the MCU that I hadn't realized would apply perfectly.  
> See you in the final installment! (aka the least planned chapter yet whoops...)


	5. Is it better to be feared or respected?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> S.H.I.E.L.D. falls (literally) victim to their own hubris. Icarus fell because he got too close to the Sun, and everyone knows Tony Stark is a Star.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so this is technically the last chapter, in terms of the main plot arc? but because it was getting long and I just wanted to post it, I've decided to add an epilogue, just to cleanly wrap the story while maintaining a dramatic ending.  
> This is the longest chapter by far, and the one I got the most stuck on.  
> Also, I changed the rating and warnings on the fic because of this chapter.  
> Enjoy!

Tony was pretty sure that meetings before 8:00 am should be considered torture. Which  _ would _ explain why S.H.I.E.L.D. favored them if he thought about it…

Anyways, it didn't excuse the fact that he was on his third cup of shitty S.H.I.E.L.D. coffee, it was barely past 7:00, and he had already been here for over an hour since Coulson had dragged him out of bed at an ungodly time. And they weren't even  _ doing anything! _ For all the effort that Coulson had put into getting the ‘B’ team together, he would have at least expected them to be either in the lab or on the streets searching by now. But no. Instead, they were stuck in some musty conference room slowly going over every known suspect and their possible motives. And most of them were two-bit thieves that even  _ he  _ hadn't heard of!

Honestly, if he had any less self-preservation or dramatic flair he would confess now just to get out of the damn meeting.

Oh, but here was the one he needed to pay attention to -  _ himself. _

He shook his head and blinked rapidly to try to clear his stupor, sitting up straighter to look at the slide that Coulson had just moved to.

“The next potential candidate,” Agent was saying, “is Iron Man. Now while Iron Man certainly has the resources and means to pull off such a kidnapping, at least one portion of it, he has demonstrated no motive and kidnapping the Avengers is miles away from his M.O. At this time we are eliminating him as a potential candidate, unless anyone would like to bring up any further concerns?”

Banner begins saying something but Tony has stopped paying attention. Coulson won't be targeting him for a few days at the least, that gives him plenty of time to deal with his captives.

His relaxation is broken by a buzzing in his pocket. Jarvis is calling him. That's never a good sign. He walks to the corner of the room to answer the call, signaling Coulson to keep going despite his glare.

“Sir, I'm afraid there's an emergency at the tower.”

“What's the problem, Jay?”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. is launching a simultaneous attack on our servers and the tower. I can hold off their hacking easily, but my faculties are limited if they start using force to break in. As long as we want to remain on friendly terms with them, that is.”

It takes everything he has to avoid glancing up at Coulson. The bastard. It's his plan for sure, keeping him tied up and tired in a pointless meeting so that they could try to find proof of his identity or involvement in the kidnapping. Coulson's kept quiet about his identity for a while, but well, ever since the Hydra debacle he's probably been antsy to take Iron Man out, given how much of a threat he can be. 

_ Shit. I really did not want to deal with this right now. _

Although, all things considered, is S.H.I.E.L.D. still necessary in the slightest? Probably not, honestly.

“Ok Jay,” he chooses his words carefully, aware of who is in the room and no doubt listening in to his side of the conversation.  _ Don't want to show my hand just yet,  _ “When you see it on my end, assume negotiations are off, I'm calling our business partner now to confirm. Until then, block them as much as possible. Is there anything else I should know until then?”  _ There, that sounds functionally corporate. _

“There are two quinjets hovering around the containment floor of the tower, and there are several agents scaling the exterior walls. Additionally, agents have made it into the lobby but no further.”

“Keep up the great work, Jay.” He finishes, already selecting a new number in his contacts. His heart is pounding and he’s sure his hand is shaking - though mostly in excitement - as he raises the phone again to his ear.

_ Is this it? It's a bit sooner than ideal, but… _

He fidgets as the phone rings, he can see Coulson looking at him suspiciously, but there's no guns pointing at him yet, so that's a good sign at least.

_ Ya know, nevermind. I am so ready for this. _

There's a tone as the call connects, a much longer distance call than should be possible given the shitty data in this basement. 

“Hello,  _ darling _ .” Tony begins.

“Stark.” Loki answers.

\---

Few people knew that Loki was alive and posing as Odin and reigning as Asgards king. Sure, Asgards populace may have had their suspicions, especially those who noticed Odin's sudden competency  _ and _ his newfound obsession with theatre, but no one had  _ proof _ .

Anthony Stark of Midgard knew. Because Loki himself had told him.

This would have shocked many, had they known. After all, the two had been enemies only a few years prior, during Loki’s failed attempt to take over Earth.

However, as Loki explained to Stark several years later, while the takeover itself  _ did _ fail,  _ Loki’s plan _ did not.

Stark understood, perhaps better than any, the lengths one would go to to keep oneself safe from harm. He understood why Loki marched on Midgard, he understood why Loki was posing as Odin, and he understood why Loki had come to him for help.

Loki’s plan, upon coming to Earth, had been to force together ‘a team of remarkable people, who could fight the battles we never could’. And, for all intents and purposes, it had worked. The Chitauri were defeated, the enemy was pushed back, and the Mad Titan’s control over him was broken.

But as Loki later mulled over what he remembered of the battle, from first his cell and later the all-seeing throne, he was struck by the decisive actions of one person who wasn't even officially on the team.

Tony Stark, consultant, had redirected the hastily fired bomb into the portal and towards the mothership - he had destroyed the entire army with nothing but mere human technology. Without him, Loki knew, the Avengers would have eventually become overwhelmed by the Chitauri, and the plan would have been foiled.

_ He _ was essential, and would continue to be, in the inevitable final battle with the Titan.

And in Loki’s continued observation of his most crucial asset, he stood out more and more. Like him, Stark led a secret double life, where he utilized his technical genius to eradicate enemies across the planet. While the remaining Avengers  _ did _ work to clean up small threats, Stark was swifter and far more effective.

Loki almost felt sorry for him and how limited he was by his planet and its people.

Nonetheless, it was obvious to Loki that Stark would be the only worthwhile partner in the final battle, both in terms of understanding and contribution - there's only _ so much _ that muscles can do, anyways.

So Loki had approached Stark, and told him of the threat that faced all worlds, and asked for his help in fighting it. And Stark, with his video footage of the void beyond the portal and the creature looming within, had seen reason, and agreed.

They would never let Thanos hurt them again.

\---

“So there's been a slight hiccup in the plans…”

There's a pause, and a sigh, and Tony can practically  _ see _ the look of tired disapproval on Loki’s face right now as he looks down at Earth, and what has happened to warrant calling.

“You prematurely captured the Avengers and are currently in S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters while their Agents swarm your tower, are you _ trying _ to be this clumsy?”

“Look Ok they pissed me off alright? But I figure it's fine because it's not like we need them anymore, I finished the Titan-killer and pretty effectively if that demonstration and your subsequent paranoia around it is any indication. We’re ready for the Endgame and they no longer hold any benefit, right?”

Coulson has entirely abandoned the PowerPoint at this time, and everyone in the room is looking suspiciously at Tony. Oh well, it's not like he planned to keep it a secret much longer.

“And I presume you’re calling me now because you left your suit at home, or something?”

“No, I have it with me always, it's just…”

Sigh. “You want to be dramatic.”

“Of course, and you’re great in a battle.”  _ If they weren't paying attention before…  _ “On my signal, then.”

“Stark, drop the phone, now!” Coulson interrupts, gun pointed at him.

He turns the phone off and turns around, hands raised in submission, cheeky grin plastering his face.

“Stark, explain yourself, now!” Well, Agent’s getting a little huffy, even if everyone else in the room is confused as all hell.

“Never let it be said that Tony Stark does not have a flair for the dramatic.” And hands still in the air, smile still on his face, he stomps his foot.

A shot echoes out as Coulson fires.

Nanites swarm out from capsules inside his heels ( _ yes he wears heels, he’s short, ok?) _ and swiftly climb up his legs, red and gold armor forming in their wake. The tide is rising, racing the bullet now, it reaches his torso and reveals the reactor in his chest, and keeps going, all the way to his head and raised hands. The helmet closes shut over the finished suit, nanites having completed their assembly in less time than it takes a speeding bullet to cross a conference room. But Tony Stark is, for all his posturing, only human, and while his technology can, he cannot move faster than a bullet. It's going to hit.

Then the air ripples green around the bullet and it falls as a figure solidifies into view next to Iron Man.

Loki is here.

\---

Loki arrives next to Stark in a blaze of glory - intimidating in his tall horned helmet and long dark coat, and wielding an elegant golden spear - and the room grows cold(er).

To his credit, Coulson reacts quickly, and metal panels slide down the walls to block off the conference room. It's a good effort, at least. The rest of the room though… is a rather different story. Rhodey, who already knew, is shaking his head. Peter looks distraught, Strange is contemplative, and Banner is trying very hard to not look more green than he already is. The rest of the baby agents are beginning to panic.

Coulson advances towards Iron Man and Loki, firing twice more despite each bullet uselessly falling as it comes into contact with Loki’s invisible shield. As he gets closer, Tony lifts one gauntleted hand to deal with the inconvenient Agent, but Loki merely raises an eyebrow in clear condescension as the temperature in the room drops further. Within moments, everyone but the two of them are immobilized by a layer of ice originating from Loki. He hadn't even moved.

“Alright, Elsa,” Tony whispers under his breath. Still smiling despite himself.

“Sir,” Jarvis announces to the room, for Loki’s benefit, “I would advise you to conclude your business here as I believe the agents at your tower are gearing up for a larger attack.”

“Roger that Jarvis.”

“Stark, are there any here you would like to keep?” Loki asks.

“Hmm? Oh right, give me a moment,” he replies, moving closer to Coulson. “Can he hear me?”

At Loki’s nod, he continues, frowning. “Agent, I'm disappointed. I really thought you would have known better than to try to attack me, especially knowing  _ who _ i am and  _ what _ i can do.” He raises his hand to cup the side of Coulson's frozen head, noting the widening of his eyes despite the ice. “Ahh well, it's a mistake you won't make again,” He says, activating the repulsor. 

Coulson’s head shatters. 

Icy chunks of his face and skull fly outwards while on the inside blood and brain practically vaporize from the shot, forming a pink mist in the cold air. The body remains standing, frozen, head removed at the neck like some sort of marble statue.

He smiles lightly as his helmet retracts, and he walks back over to Loki, who is looking on in appreciation. His smile broadens as he turns back to the other Avengers.

“I’d like to have you all around for the up and coming fight, so do consider that a warning and don't try anything stupid, capiche?” He turns back to Loki, “We should get to the tower now, would you like to do the honors?”

“Gladly,” Loki replies, leveling his spear and rapidly sending out a dozen bolts of energy towards each agent, shattering their heads just like Coulson.

“Nice, we got a whole statue garden now.”

“I think it looks rather elegant,” Loki says, reaching out to lay his hand on Stark's shoulder, “and it's remarkably symbolic.”

“That they don't have heads?” Tony chuckles, and Loki smiles.

\---

Loki teleported them to the roof of one of Stark Tower’s neighboring buildings (again, stupid for Agent to presume they would be trapped.)

“Sir, I'm afraid that several of the rogue Avengers have escaped and are currently…”

“They  _ crashed a fucking quinjet _ into my tower? Jarvis, what the hell?”

“After finding the cells unbreachable from the inside, they successfully breached them from the outside.”

“By crashing… Jesus.”

“I'm glad you have this well in hand, Stark.”

“Shut up,” Tony said, as he glared at him. “Wait, you know, I actually do. Jarvis, call up Pepper and my PR team, start smearing the news with reports of a case of domestic terrorism. Use some footage of Cap and the others to pin the blame on them, and make sure to draw the connections between this and the last time a plane crashed into a building in New York, and critique the rogues for their evident hatred of progress, you can quote me on that. I need this out  _ now _ , so Iron Man’s presence here can be justified, come on.”

“Of course, Sir.”

“And Lokes, as much as I love watching your pretty tricks, I need you to stay invisible this time, if we’re using this to tear down the public opinion of Caps team in favor of me.”

“As you wish,” Loki acknowledged, as he faded from sight. Tony jumped several inches when Loki's voice suddenly came from right next to his ear, “Shall we begin?”

“ _ Don't do that. _ ” He hissed as his helmet reformed over his head.

All he heard in response as he flew towards his tower was muted laughter.

\---

A couple well-aimed missiles sent the two quinjets flying directly at the tower. Jarvis had already informed him that everyone had been evacuated, it would get the quinjets safely out of the air, it's not like he couldn't afford the repairs, and all it would do would be to add to the terrorism story he was building. Literally no downside.

He saw a couple flashes of green and gold on the side of the building, accompanied each time by the sound of a falling agent. God, it was so nice to trust that his back was covered for once. It had been less than two minutes and they were already down to the last few enemies.

He spotted a flash of red light and further movement on the roof and flew up to investigate. It seemed that the Avengers that had gotten out had congregated there, and he sneered with distaste as a blast of feeble magic flew past him.

“Prancer,” he said into his comm, “the naughty children are on the roof, would you mind helping me with the little witch?”

He received no reply, but a split second later he saw signs of panic as a figure with tall golden horns stepped into existence in front of the assembled crowd. He swooped closer and landed, refusing to let Loki have all the fun.

Two repulsor shots towards the widow forced her to dodge out of the way of the first to get hit solidly in the stomach by the second, taking her down as he swooped back out of range. To his left, Loki was slowly crushing Maximoff within a glowing green sphere as her magic raged helplessly inside. Another quick shot to Clint’s hand forced him to drop the bow he had acquired, and a mini-missile destroyed it; Loki got Clint, after all.

Tony swung back around to pick up speed and then charged at Fury, knocking him off the high tower. He waited a moment before chasing him, letting him feel the terror of falling before Tony grabbed him by his wrist, breaking it as Fury growled in pain.  _ God, that was satisfying. _

“Stark what are you doing?” Fury roared.

Tony didn't answer, instead he spun around midair so they both faced the tower and the two smoldering quinjets lodged in it.

“Look, Fury, This is the consequence of your hubris. S.H.I.E.L.D. though it could best me.  _ Me! _ As if you ever had a chance.”

“Stark!”

He threw his head back, “I can't believe it took me this long to dump you, like what was I thinking?”

Fury reached into his jacket with his free hand, attempting to grab a gun, but Tony’s sudden upward acceleration jerked his hand back down.

“Stupid move, Director. I'm the only thing keeping you alive right now, so if you shot me you’d have about three seconds to choose whether you want to shoot yourself before you make some modern art on the pavement. Continue the tradition and all that, Coulson did make a lovely statue.”

“You won't get away with this, Stark.”

“Now that's just cliche, I'm sure you can do better, even if you’re wrong.”

Fury didn't reply.

“Now Director,” Tony sighed, finally stopping his ascent, “you remember the story of Icarus? He flew too high, you see, took on more than he could handle,” he gestured at himself, “flew too close to the sun.” He retracted his helmet and pulled Fury up so that they were staring face to face. “And you know what happened, to Icarus, for his stupidity?” He smiled, “He fell.”

And he let go of Fury’s wrist.

“Remember your choice, Director!” He shouted at the rapidly diminishing figure.

A few seconds later, he heard a shot from below.

\---

When Tony returned to the rooftop, he found the rest of the escaped Avengers magically bound alongside a smirking Loki.

“So, do we need any of these ones alive?”

Tony paused, “Keep the Witch and the Widow, you can have Hawkeye if you want, I'm gonna talk to Cap.”

Loki smiled as Clint vanished in a green shimmer, and went back to watching the other two.

Rogers went silent as Tony walked over to him and dragged him up and to the edge of the building by his neck. He had already learned that his super strength was useless against the magical bonds, and so didn't struggle, but he did maintain his annoyingly normal righteous expression.

“So, Capsicle, I win. Got any last words before you go?” Tony grinned and shifted his hand to Roger’s collar, so he could speak.

Steve pauses for a moment, “I thought you didn't want to be like Obidiah Stane: a  _ traitor _ .” he spat.

Even now, years later, he could feel the cold rushing through his body and his heart begin to race at the mention of his name.

_ Oh don't you… _

“Dare! You _dare_ accuse _me_ of treachery? You compare me to _him?_ _You?_ Really, Rogers, you’re going to lecture me on betrayal.” He pulled their faces closer together, sneering, “Cap _you_ betrayed me first, I'm simply finishing what you started.”

He smiled, a bright confident grin, and pushed Steve backward.

“I'm making the world safer than you ever could.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! I know I said this last chapter, but only one chapter (epilogue) left! This is now officially the longest cohesive work I've ever written, I have so much respect for people who write stuff this long all the time.  
> Additionally, I've learned that maybe battle scenes are not my forte? IDK, there were just so many parts to keep track of, I feel I may have lost a bit of Tony's built of characterization in favor of nice poetic dialogue here. I was also hit really hard by writer's block for the second half of this. That was fun.  
> As always, I love to hear your feedback, it's really motivating  
> Stay tuned!


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of the Rogue Avengers is, for all intents and purposes, over. But they don't matter.   
> This is how Tony Stark's story ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy frick I'm done. My motivation for this story was really starting to flag at the end but I'm not going to let like 1/3 of the last chapter stop me, I wouldn't do that.  
> Anyways, this is the epilogue, the final bit of plot after the main arc that wraps the story up.  
> Also, FYI the math in this is 100% correct. :)  
> Hope you like it!

Given how tired and off-guard he was, Tony still thought he did an excellent job in handling S.H.I.E.L.D.s attack, and he told Loki as much that evening. And intermittently for the rest of the month whenever Loki visited.

Loki had argued back that it was Tony’s fault that they had had to rush the conclusion in the first place and so he shouldn't feel too proud of solving the mess that  _ he _ had created. He had also added that perhaps this would teach Tony to adopt a healthier sleep schedule in the future.

Jarvis had then joined in to commiserate with Loki on the futility of that endeavor.

All in all, Loki thought, it had gone rather well considering, and he was glad that S.H.I.E.L.D. and the useless Avengers were finally out of the way.

And Stark’s work to clean up  _ had _ been especially elegant, which he could always appreciate. 

Jarvis’s multiple stories and articles about the reported ‘S.H.I.E.L.D. Terrorism’ had done wonders and had kickstarted an entire turnaround of public opinion on the involved parties, especially within New York. The people of New York City had been fostering a lingering mistrust and resentment of S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since the invasion and their Nuke. And, Loki wryly thought, they probably would even favor  _ him _ over the agency, considering that his …  _ compulsions _ had been made public knowledge, Asgard had attempted reparations, and he did not continually meddle in their affairs. Also, he was thought to be dead.

Anyways, sympathy for Stark in the aftermath of the battle with the Avengers skyrocketed. He had made multiple public statements critiquing S.H.I.E.L.D.s treatment of him, theatrically exaggerating their many ungrateful demands of him and Stark Industries for tech and financial support despite their often abject dismissal of the man himself. And after the footage and details surrounding the whole Accords issue were leaked, well…

Let's just say that Tony Stark was the people’s hero, and Captain Rogers and his ragtag band were not.

Loki had especially admired Project Icarus. 

He had faintly overheard Stark’s words to the Director before he let him fall, but he hadn't realized how much Stark had prepared behind the scenes. Specifically, Project Icarus, which he had said was named for S.H.I.E.L.D.s self-destructive over-confidence.

Stark had said it was only ever meant to be a last-ditch plan because of the potential public backlash, but after seeing people around the world practically marching on S.H.I.E.L.D. with pitchforks and torches, he had readily hit the big red button. The gleam in his eyes showed how little he resented revealing his trump card.

Stark was responsible for a lot more than 12% of the Helicarrier, and so it was with incredible ease that Jarvis was able to slip into the software and take control of the ship. The agents onboard didn't even realize that they were heading towards New York until it was too late.

And then the Helicarrier burned.

Smoke clouded the sky as each massive engine burst into flames, carefully timed to let the massive ship slip and fall out of the sky and land, with near-perfect precision, on the New York headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The kinetic energy generated by a helicarrier falling five thousand meters is about 10 billion joules, or, about 8% of the energy generated by the Hiroshima bomb. Simply put, the fireball was about the size of 2 city blocks, the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. campus was reduced to rubble, and buildings in a 20 block radius had broken windows.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was, for lack of a better word, obliterated.

And it was  _ beautiful. _

Tony Stark, philanthropist, had stepped in in the aftermath. Donations flying from his fingertips and with the support of the ‘new Avengers’ (Tony had been delighted they had accepted his offer, they would have been an unfortunate asset to lose and the public  _ loved _ spiderman) he critiqued the carelessness of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the organizations above it, citing his own personal hatred and mistrust of misused weapons. And he reminded the public that he too, had been hurt by S.H.I.E.L.D., and the people of the world rose up and demanded justice.

Iron Man rose to the occasion, reborn out of the fire to be the hero the world hadn't realized it deserved. 

At first, his presence at the post-S.H.I.E.L.D. peace talks brought only his usual fear. But after a strong, if rather hesitant, commendation from the new Avengers, and the uncovering of further footage showing his contributions to the tower fight, he was tentatively welcomed into the public eye. After that, the glowing reports began to flood in: videos showing civilians working with terrorists, bank trails of illegal arms dealing, Stark Industries stockpiles, the whole nine yards. And all issues that had been ignored or forgotten - until Iron Man stepped in.

_ Yes of course a lot of it was doctored to look better, Iron Man wasn't a saint, he just wanted the public to think he was. _

The public was finally seeing that he had always been on their side. The  _ right _ side.

And still more information came out. 

Not enough range to outshine the Widows post-Insight leak, but more than enough depth.

_ Again, not all of it was true, but Jarvis could bury trails deeper than any could ever find them. _

Videos floated forwards of the Witch training her skills on innocent prisoners, slipping her toxic magic into their minds to play with their memories. The lucky ones died at her hands, the others, well, let's just say she would have put a lot of mental hospitals back in business. Stomachs across the nation turned at her laughter as she worked.

The Widow suffered a similar fate. Honestly, Tony had not realized just  _ how much red _ was in her ledger, Loki had been right in his taunt so many years ago, it was dripping,  _ gushing red _ . And she was going to drown in it.

The public response to the released information to the rest of Rogers erstwhile team was less severe, considering they tended to have fewer crimes to their name. Hill, Wilson, Barton, and Lang were smeared through the mud anyway. Even Fury, who had been found splattered across the street, would be rolling in his grave (if he was given one) at the verbal lashing his death gave him no rest from.

And then Iron Man brought the once loved, now hated team forth. And he was met with applause.

The trial was long, and the most publicized thing in the world. 

James Buchanan Barnes, America Hero, found surprising lenience with the American populace, despite being responsible for the death of at least one President and numerous other influential figures throughout history. After all, the videos of his … conditioning had stirred up national sympathy, and Tony Stark was more than happy to help a fellow victim of Hydra. He wasn't to be blamed for blindly trusting the first non-hostile face he saw after regaining his most rudimentary mental facilities. But BARF worked it's magic, and he too denounced his ex-team to stand alongside the new Avengers, finally able to forge his own path.

The rest of the remaining rogues were not so lucky. Tony’s lawyers tore them apart, and when it was over, the last remaining scraps of appreciation and dignity the surviving Rogues had had been stripped from them. They were bundled off to the Raft, and to the cells where they would spend the rest of their days.

Tony and Loki visited them, once.

They walked into the place like they owned it, because for all intents and purposes, they did. They strode along the dim halls into the circular room where the ex-Avengers all sat. Tony looked around the room, smirking at the familiar situation and the knowledge that their fight was leaving them.

“This is for the best.” he told them, before he and Loki left.

The Rogues never saw them again.

\---

Thanos came to Midgard.

He stood with his armies on the great field of battle, announcing his claim to the infinity gems and his desire for balance. He was met by the heroes of Earth, who announced their intentions to protect their planet and all others. Thanos laughed at their arrogance, even as two stepped forward to face him.

The God and the Merchant stood side by side against the Titan.

And the Titan fell.

\---

In the end, the Heroes whose story had begun to end when they woke up in a semi-circular room proved unnecessary. The great war, the final battle, the Endgame had been fought, and won, without them. Death had lent her favor to her favorite Merchant, and the Titan had fallen.

Loki had bound Thanos with his magic, his rage and fear keeping the tethers from breaking while Stark had flown forward with the Titan-killer. And they both watched in satisfaction as nanobots ripped his body apart from the inside, reducing the galaxy's biggest menace to a mound of mincemeat in a matter of minutes.

Thanos’s army fled when the pair turned their attention to them.

\---

This was not the end, of course. They still had to round up and eliminate those who still posed a threat to the galaxy with Thanos's ideals, and shore up the nine realms defenses, and deal with the infinity stones, and much more. But that could all wait, at least for now.

For now, they had won.

They were safe.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done. over.  
> This was originally a quick drabble that I wrote entirely for my benefit and didn't even plan on posting, let along turning into the longest single work I've ever written in my life. This story is entirely thanks to the wonderful support of all you readers and especially the commenters. The feedback on this story is above even my wildest dreams could have predicted, its amazing. but I couldn't have done it without you, so thanks. Thanks a lot.  
> Anyways, I might write more in the future, so keep an eye open. or comment potential prompts, or whatever.  
> But for now,   
> Toodles!


End file.
